


It's In His DNA

by DollyPop



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Awkward Dates, Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 02:01:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8426542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyPop/pseuds/DollyPop
Summary: Traditional romantic evenings aren’t really their thing. Good thing, or, rather, bad thing that Spirit Albarn decides to give Stein some advice.





	

_“They say I got screws missing, well, hell, only when I’m missing you. And hell yeah, I’m a dick, girl.  
Addicted to you.” ~Fall Out Boy_

* * *

“Hey, Frank?” Marie asked, and he grunted, not looking up from his research. He could hear her huff, however, and so lifted his head.

“Yes?”

“Babe…uh-“

“Marie.”

“Why don’t we ever go on a date?”

Stein looked at her for a long moment.

“We go on several dates,” he reasoned immediately.

“Yes, um- about that. Sitting with you and watching the discovery channel is nice, don’t get me wrong. But…not a date.”

“By whose standards?” he asked, near indignant.

“Mine,” she informed him, sighing before she moseyed over to his desk, setting her but upon all his research as she sat down, reaching out to play with his hair. “Come on, babe, why don’t we ever go to dinner?”

“You prefer to cook,” he replied, leaning into her touch and dropping the folder that he was leafing through to set his hand upon hers.

“I mean, yeah, but a nice,  _romantic_ , night when I don’t have to would be nice. Say…a few days from now?”

“Why so suddenly?” he asked, and she scowled.

“Because a few days from now is  _Valentine’s Day_ , Frank. Or did you forget?”

“Truthfully, I was under the impression it was September.”

“Good lord, what am I going to do with you?” she muttered, likely intending for him not to hear, but he grinned at her, all creepy and crooked and weirdly endearing.

“I can imagine a few-“

“Maybe if you take me to dinner, first. Frank!” she whined, switching gears and pouting. “We never go out.”

“We go out every day-“

“I mean  _out_ out! Not just outside!”

“Perhaps we could travel, then? Pennsylvania has a museum of medical oddities-“

“Yeah, I think I have my  _own_  museum of medical oddities right here,” she claimed, dryly. She ran her fingers through his hair, soothing at his scalp, and his creepy grin softened to a lopsided smile.

“You want to have a. . .traditionally romantic evening?” he asked her, and she nodded.

“At least just once, you know?”

“For all my research, I’ve no true grasp on how to go about such a thing.”

Marie smiled at him, kissing his forehead and cupping his cheek. “You’ll figure it out. You’re a genius, after all!” she told him, before hopping off of his desk and making her way back to her room. “I’m excited to see what you come up with, honey!”

Stein pressed his cheek into his palm.

What had he just gotten himself into?

* * *

“Senpai-“

“And you have to wear a suit. Women  _love_  suits- wait, Marie’s kind of weird. Does Marie like men in suits?”

“Depending upon the suit-“

“Okay, so you need a suit. A nice one. I can give you one but-“

“Senpai-“

“And flowers! Is she allergic? Even if she isn’t, get her flowers. Shows her you care-“

“How is that romantic? ‘Oh, yes, pardon, Marie. I have the knowledge that you succumb to urticaria from this particular organic matter, but I will deliver it to you in spite of such a condition.’”

“Wow, when you say it like  _that_  it just sounds like you don’t care about what happens to her.”

Stein looked at Spirit pointedly, taking another drink of the brandy his…friend? had set before him when he went to him for…women troubles.

How low the mighty have fallen.

“I requested your assistance in giving Marie an evening that would make her happy. Not in putting her into medical care. I can do the latter without you. And she isn’t allergic, for your information.”

“Ha, ha,” Spirit said. “Listen, we all know you don’t have a single romantic bone in your body. . .save for…well, your _actual_  romantic bone-“

“Spirit,” Stein warned, his hand inching toward his pocket where a sharp object was  _bound_  to me. Spirit lifted his hands up in surrender.

“Okay! Okay, point taken. Just…leave it all to me, okay?”

Stein looked at Spirit suspiciously. “Leave it to you? After the divorce you-“

“Don’t talk about my divorce,” Spirit said, and his voice was sharper than usual.

Spirit waved him away. “Why should I allow you to plan my evening?”

“Because, my little ex-Meister. What you need is Cupid! Romance, candlelit dinners, rose petals on the bed! And I? I am  _master_  of being Cupid.”

“Cupid shoots people-“

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Stein. I’ll take care of everything!”

* * *

Trusting Spirit in matters of the heart was…a surprisingly good, yet uncomfortable idea. There Stein was, standing outside of his own home, per Spirit’s directions, about to knock on his own door. He had informed Marie of the dinner reservations he’d booked- or, rather, Spirit booked- a few hours prior, giving her plenty of time to get dressed.

In his hands, he had a full dozen roses, and he shifted uncomfortably in his suit. It was tailored strangely, one of Spirit’s rather than his own, and it rode up in some places while being just the slightest bit loose in others. But, for the most part, he certainly looked the part.

And that was just it. A part. He didn’t feel like himself at all.

Regardless, romance was what Marie wanted. And seeing her happy was what  _he_ wanted. So indulging her was the least he could do. He took a deep breath in, going to knock on the door, but Spirit’s voice in his ear stopped him.

“WAIT! Maybe you should throw pebbles at her window! That always works in the movies?”

“Why did I request your assistance, again, Senpai?” Stein huffed, going to fold his arms across his chest, but the bouquet Spirit thrust at him last minute prevented him from doing so.

“Because you’re hopeless. Go.”

Because, to make matters worse than they already were, they’d decided it was best that Spirit had a microphone, an earpiece in Stein’s ear, so he could…guide him.

Falling lower and lower by the minute.

Regardless, Stein sighed, making his way around the building. He’d much rather be inside of his home, on the atrocious couch Marie had brought in several months ago, than doing  _this_.

Do it for Marie. Do it for Marie.

He picked up a stone from his backyard, more a giant plot of dirt than anything else, part graveyard, part future burial plots, and threw it at her window.

He was lucky he didn’t shatter the thing, but the rattle it made must have certainly alerted Marie. In no time, he saw it open, and Marie’s made up face glancing out into the night.

“Marie,” he said, and she finally looked down, gaping at him.

“… . _Stein?_ ”

“I have arrived.”

“What are you doing outside? Isn’t it cold?”

“I…”

“Tell her you wanted to surprise her,” Spirit hissed, and Stein stumbled over the words, feeling uncharacteristically like a babbling fool.

“I…was intending upon surprising you.”

“Consider me surprised!” she said, but looked at him in confusion. “I’ll be right down!”

She closed her window, and Stein let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“That was awful,” Spirit said, and Stein’s eyebrow twitched as he walked back to his front porch.

“It was your idea-“

“The delivery was all wrong! Next time, we need music. OH! And maybe some lights and-“

“Spirit.”

“Okay, okay. Focusing on the now. Move it, Mr. Smooth.”

Tonight was going to be a disaster.

* * *

Two failed compliments about Marie’s dress later, several strange looks, and giving her his jacket to which she could only reply with ‘It feels weird that it isn’t a lab coat’, he was sweating in his seat at the dinner table.

Damn Spirit. Why did he have to pick this fancy place?

Marie shifted in her seat, crossing her legs beneath her long black dress, embroidered at the bust and waist with beautiful gold, glass beads. He’d mentioned that the dress was particularly aesthetically pleasing, and that was when she’d smiled the most genuinely, but now, at the table, with a candle between them and a very fancy menu, she seemed uncomfortable.

“Okay,” Spirit said in his ear. “Order champagne. For the both of you.”

Stein wanted to mention that he despised champagne, but he swallowed it down.

“Oh, and reach out and hold her hand.”

Stein shifted in his seat and then crept his hand out, pausing only slightly when the waiter came over.

“Sir, Madame. Have you decided upon drink?”

“Um…a glass of wine for me. Red,” Marie said before Stein could even open his mouth, and the waiter nodded.

“What year? Region?-“

Marie looked at an absolute loss, making a face at him, and Stein set down the wine menu. “A bottle of champagne, actually,” he said, and Marie gave him a look.

“Get the 1995 Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenires,” Spirit rattled off, and Marie gaped at Stein when he repeated.

She waited until the waiter walked off to finally set both hands on the table.

“Okay, what is going _on_!?” she asked, speaking under her breath, but undoubtedly displeased. Stein was taken aback.

“What-?”

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of trick this is, but I want my husband back!” Marie said, and Stein blinked at her.

“I am-“

“Bullshit! My husband would _never_ wear a suit like this and…and- your hair is _combed_ and this restaurant!? What the hell is going on?” Marie asked, grimacing at him. Stein looked at her incredulously before he barked out a laugh. “What?” Marie said, scowling.

“Nothing- only- you’d wanted a romantic evening,” he informed her, still laughing.

“Yeah,” Marie said. “With _you_ , not with some…Fabio wannabe.”

Stein laughed harder, reaching up to his ear where Spirit was screaming “ABORT, ABORT!!!” to take out the earpiece, setting it on the table. “I’d gone to Spirit for assistance.”

“Well,” she said, a giggle creeping through. “That explains it.”

“I simply wanted to make you happy, Marie. Without the use of an external serotonin inducer-“

“Oh, Lord, Stein. You _already_ make me happy. We could have just gone anywhere. Not done. ..all this.”

“In hindsight,” Stein chuckled, “I realize that. But isn’t this what you’d always wanted?”

She looked at him for a moment. “You know. ..if you asked me a few years ago, this would have been my idea of a perfect date.”

“And now?” he asked, leaning forward.

“And now,” she started, running her foot up his leg, watching him shiver pleasantly. “I think the perfect date is just being with someone I love.”

Stein smiled at her crookedly. “Shall I go fetch him?”

“Mmmm,” Marie hummed. “You can start by mussing up that ridiculous hairstyle,” she giggled, and Stein ran a hand through his hair, previously slicked down and in place, to bring his shaggy bangs back over his eyes.

“Better?”

“There’s my husband! Never used a comb in his life,” she joked, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. The way she smiled at him could have cured any malady. “Why don’t we leave, hm? Go back home?”

“And do what?”

“Oh, think we’re due for some Discovery Channel and chill.”

“I believe we certainly are,” he agreed, pushing his chair back, but Marie stopped him.

“Uh, but…champagne first.”

He cracked a grin. “Of course.”

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5: More Than One Way To Say 'I Love You'


End file.
